Boat mooring device

ABSTRACT

A mooring or anchoring device for boats which is designed to be detachably mounted on a boat pier whose walkway is formed of spaced planks comprising a body section having a ring to which a line from a boat can be tied and spaced laterally extending inner arm member and outer arm members which can be inserted between the spaced plaNks of the pier walkway and then rotated 90* till the arms extend transversely of the planks to prevent the device being accidentally disengaged from the pier.

United States Patent Gunvalson 1 Nov. 28, 1972 BOAT MOORING DEVICE [72] Inventor: Robert N. Gunvalson, R0. Box 78301, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. 86403 [22] Filed: July 23,1971

[21] Appl. No.: 165,627

52 us. Cl. ..114/230, 114/5 F 51 Int. c]. ..B63b 21/00 58 Field of Search ..114/230, .5 F, .5 R, 235 ws [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1962 Vanderfeltz et al "114/235 WS 3,191,565 6/1965 Filak ..l 14/.5 F

Primary ExaminerTrygve M. Blix Attomey-George N. Hibben et a].

[57] ABSTRACT A mooring or anchoring device for boats which is designed to be detachably mounted on a boat pier whose walkway is formed of spaced planks comprising a body section having a ring to which a line from a boat can be tied and spaced laterally extending inner arm member and outer arm members which can be inserted between the spaced plaNks of the pier walkway and then rotated 90 till the arms extend transversely of the planks to prevent the device being accidentally disengaged frQmthe pier.

6Clains,5DrawingFigures ua. we \N\\\\ llllllilh' lllllllllllll lllll 1H ml BOAT MOORING DEVICE The present invention relates to a mooring device to which a mooring line of a boat can be attached for securing a small recreational boat to a pier.

Many boat piers which are used by small recreational boaters have insufficient mooring cleats, rings or other securing means to which a heater can conveniently fasten a mooring line when he wishes to go ashore for a short period. It is frequently necessary for the boater to secure the boat mooring line to a vertical piling member which supports the pier structure, and this is often very inconvenient.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive mooring device which will enable a boater to detachably mount the mooring device at a convenient location along a conventional pier structure.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a low cost one-piece mooring device which can be detachably connected to a pier having a walkway formed of spaced planks or the like sections.

- Other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and claims to follow when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mooring device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the mooring device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view partially in vertical section showing the mooring device of FIGS. 1 and 2 operatively mounted on a conventional pier structure;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view partially in vertical section showing the mooring device of FIGS. 1 and 2 mounted in an optional manner on a conventional pier structure.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the present invention.

In the construction of piers to which small recreational boats, such as runabouts and row boats, frequently are moored for taking on or discharging passengers, it is conventional practice to form the walkways of the piers of planking members or metal sections which are spaced apart about 1 to 2 inches to permit water draining between the planking members and also to prevent water being trapped below the planking member and creating pressure from below which would tend to loosen the planking member from the supporting pier structure. The mooring device of the present invention is intended for use with conventional pier structures of the foregoing type having the walkways thereof formed of spaced planking members.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4 of the drawing is a preferred embodiment of the invention and the mooring device is comprised of a main body section or shank 11 having a pair of elongated outer arm sections 12, 13 which extend laterally from the outer end portion of the shank 11 is diametrically opposite directions. The lower arm sections 12, 13 preferably are provided with a flat or planar inner surfaces 12a, 13a adapted to engage a flat surface of the planking member forming the walkway of a pier and are elongated so as to distribute the force applied to the mooring device by the mooring line over a relatively large from the outer arm sections 12, 13 are inner arm sections 14, 15 extending laterally in opposite directions from the shank 11, with the inner arm sections 14, 15 lying in the same plane as the outer arm sections 12, 13. The length of the inner arm sections 14, 15 are preferably no more than about half the length of the outer arm sections 12, 13, but always have a combined length greater than the distance between the spaced planking members which form the walkway of the pier. The outer surfaces 14a, 15a of the inner arm sections 14, 15 are also preferably flat or planar and are adapted to engage the opposite surface of the planking members which form the walkway from that engaged by surfaces 12a, 13a. The spacing between the outer ann sections 12, 13 and the inner arm sections 14, 15 in the mooring device shown in FIGS. 1-4 is slightly greater surface area of the planking members. Spaced inwardly than the thickness of the planking members forming the walkway on which the mooring device is to be mounted. The inner end of the shank 11 is provided with a ring or eye section 16 or the like means which is adapted to have a mooring line 17 attached thereto.

The outer arm sections 12, 13 and the outer portion 11a of the shank 11 which extends outwardly of the inner arm sections 14, 15 has a maximum transverse width less than the spacing between the planking members forming the walkway to permit inserting the outer arm members and said outer portion 11a of the shank 11 between the spaced planking members of the walkway.

In use the mooring device 10 of the present invention is preferably held directly above the space between adjacent planks 21, 22 with the ring section 16 uppermost and the shank 11 extending vertically with the arm sections 12, 13, 14 and 15 all extending parallel to the edges of the planks 21, 22. The mooring device 10 is then lowered through the opening between the planks 21, 22 until the upper or innermost surfaces 12a, 13a of the outer arm sections 12, 13 extends below the lower surface of the planks 21, 22, and while the lower or outer surfaces 14a, 15a of the inner arm sections 14, 15 remain above the upper surface of the planks 21, 22, the mooring device 10 is rotated so that the arm sections 12, 13 and 14, 15 extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the planks 21, 22. In the latter position the inner arm sections 14, 15 extend across or bridge the opening between the planks 21, 22 preventing the mooring device 10 falling through the opening between the planks 21, 22, and the outer arm sections 12, 13 engage the lower surface of the planks 21, 22 over a substantial area thereof when a pulling force is exerted on the ring 16 by the mooring line 17.

In an optional method of using the mooring device 10, the mooring device 10 is held below the planks 21, 22 with the outer arm sections 12, 13 uppermost, and the outer arm sections 12, 13 are then inserted upwardly between the spaced planks 21, 22 until the inner surfaces 12a, 13a thereof just clear the upper surface of the planks 21, 22. The mooring device 10 is then rotated 90 so that the outer arm sections 12, 13 extend transversely across the upper surface planks 21, 22. When a pulling force is applied on the ring 16 by the mooring line 17 attached thereto, the force is transferred through the outer arm sections 12, 13 to the planks 21, 22.

in a modified form of the mooring device shown in FIG. 5, the innermost ends of arms 14, 15 where they join the shank 11' are spaced above the outer arm sections 12, 13' a distance less than the thickness of the planking members and the surfaces of the inner arm sections 14', 15 facing the arm sections 12, 13 extend outwardly from the shank 11 at an angle greater than 90 rather than perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shank 11, while the inner surfaces of the outer arm sections 12, 13 preferably extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shank 11. When one of the oppositely disposed inner surfaces of the arm sections 12, 13 and 14, 15 lies in a plane forming an angle greater than 90 with the longitudinal axis of the shank 11', the oppositely disposed inner surfaces 14a and 15a of the said arm sections 14 and 15 at points spacedinwardly from their outer ends frictionally engage the outer surfaces of the planking members when the mooring device is rotated 90 and tend to hold the mooring device 10 against unintentional movement when a force is applied to the ring 16' after the mooring device 10' is mounted on a pier structure, as herein described.

The mooring device of the present invention can be made in various sizes and of various materials, including plastic or metal. The form shown in the drawing is preferably molded of plastic and the various sections thereof have a transverse width and thickness of the several parts of about one-half inch to adapt the device for convenient use with a pier structure having the planking members of the walkway spaced about one inch. When the planking members are spaced more or less than one inch, the several sections of the mooring device or, if desired, only the outer arm sections 12, 13 and outer shank portion 11a, can have a transverse width greater or less than one-half inch. Also, in the form illustrated in the drawing each of the arm members 12, 13 are about 3 inches long and are spaced about 1% inches from the inner arm sections 14, which are about 1.5 inches long for convenient use with a pier having the planking members about 1 inch thick. And, when the thickness of the planking members forming the walkway is greater or less than one inch the arm members can be spaced more or less than 1% inch.

in the foregoing specification and in the accompanying claims the term elongated arm sections-is intended to define an arm section which has a high ratio of length of the arm section to the width of the shank, and preferably 6: l whereby the arm members through which the force of the mooring line is applied to the planking member distribute the force over a wide surface area of the planking members to avoid placing undue stress on a limited area of the planking members and thereby avoids causing localized failure of the planking member of the fasteners associated therewith.

It will be understood that while the form illustrating the invention has a ring at the inner end thereof to which a line from the boat can be tied, other structures to which a line can be fastened, such as a mooring cleat, can be provided in place of the ring.

I claim:

1. A mooring device for detachable mounting on a pier having the walkway thereof formed of spaced planking members comprising; a shank member having at the inner end thereo means for attaching a mooring line thereto and a pair of oppositely disposed elongated outer arm sections extending laterally from the outer end thereof in diametrically opposite directions, a pair of inner arm sections spaced from said outer arm sections and extending laterally from the opposite sides of said shank member in the same plane as said outer arm sections, said outer and inner arm sections having oppositely disposed surfaces thereof which are spaced at the outer ends thereof a distance greater than the thickness of said planking members, and the portion said shank member which extends outwardly of said inner arm section and the said outer arm sections both having a transverse width less than the said spacing between said planking members.

2. A mooring device as in claim 1, wherein said outer arm sections have a greater length than said inner arm sections.

3. A mooring device as in claim 2, wherein said outer arm sections have a length about twice the length of said inner arm sections.

4. A mooring device as in claim 1, wherein the said oppositely disposed surfaces of said arm sections are planar.

5. A mooring device as in claim 1, wherein the distance between the oppositely disposed surfaces of said inner and outer arm sections is less than the thickness of the said planking members at points immediately adjacent said shank member and greater than the thickness of said planking members at the outer ends of said arm sections.

6. A mooring device as in claim 1, wherein said means for attaching a mooring line thereto is a ring member formed integrally with said shank member. 

1. A mooring device for detachable mounting on a pier having the walkway thereof formed of spaced planking members comprising; a shank member having at the inner end thereof means for attaching a mooring line thereto and a pair of oppositely disposed elongated outer arm sections extending laterally from the outer end thereof in diametrically opposite directions, a pair of inner arm sections spaced from said outer arm sections and extending laterally from the opposite sides of said shank member in the same plane as said outer arm sections, said outer and inner arm sections having oppositely disposed surfaces thereof which are spaced at the outer ends thereof a distance greater than the thickness of said planking members, and the portion said shank member which extends outwardly of said inner arm section and the said outer arm sections both having a transverse width less than the said spacing between said planking members.
 2. A mooring device as in claim 1, wherein said outer arm sections have a greater length than said inner arm sections.
 3. A mooring device as in claim 2, wherein said outer arm sections have a length about twice the length of said inner arm sections.
 4. A mooring device as in claim 1, wherein the said oppositely disposed surfaces of said arm sections are planar.
 5. A mooring device as in claim 1, wherein the distance between the oppositely disposed surfaces of said inner and outer arm sections is less than the thickness of the said planking members at points immediately adjacent said shank member and greater than the thickness of said planking members at the outer ends of said arm sections.
 6. A mooring device as in claim 1, wherein said means for attaching a mooring line thereto is a ring member formed integrally with said shank member. 